N. Rao – författare

This collection of critical essays explores thinking and evidence on the role of locally-elected representatives in Western democracies. The contributors, drawn from the UK, US, France, Denmark and Norway, deal with two principal themes: political recruitment and representativeness, and the processes of political representation. They highlight the dilemmas of open and accessible local government.

Based on original research in eleven countries the book assesses these changes in terms of their implications for political accountability, the role of lay politicians, political recruitment, the professionalization of leadership, and relations with the bureaucracy.